Publications

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01 Mar 2015
News

Research Brief: Political Capital

It’s no secret that politicians are trying to buy your vote—in the 2012 presidential campaign, Republicans and Democrats shelled out nearly $2 billion in their fight for the White House. But what’s the most effective way to spend that money? In a new working paper, HBS... View Details

Keywords: Janelle Nanos; Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support; Government; Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services; Professional Services

26 Mar 2007
Research & Ideas

Learning from Failed Political Leadership

often prevailed not because of our political leadership, but in spite of it. We posit that this occurs with corporations as well. Could this be true of your company? A successful leader must be able to persuade people to follow a certain... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

March 2012
Article

Managing Political Risk in Global Business: Beiersdorf 1914-1990

By: Geoffrey Jones and Christina Lubinski

This article is concerned with business strategies of political risk management during the twentieth century. It focuses especially on Beiersdorf, a pharmaceutical and skin care company in Germany. During World War I, the expropriation of its brands and trademarks... View Details

Keywords: Business Strategy; Government and Politics; Risk Management; Brands and Branding; Problems and Challenges; Communication Technology; Cost; Trademarks; Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry; Germany

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2013
Working Paper

Managers and Market Capitalism

By: Rebecca Henderson and Karthik Ramanna

In a capitalist system based on free markets, do managers have responsibilities to the system itself? If they do, should these responsibilities shape their behavior when they are engaging in the political process in an attempt to structure the institutions of... View Details

Keywords: Market Design; Economic Systems; Managerial Roles; Government and Politics

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16 Jul 2014
HBS Case

Marketing Obamacare

It's safe to say that the rollout of the Affordable Care Act was not pretty. Plagued by technical problems on Healthcare.gov, and stymied by a lack of political support in around half of the 50 states, the federal healthcare exchange set... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health

June 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Case

BlackRock Money Market Management in September 2008 (A)

By: Kenneth A. Froot and David Lane

This case highlights the issues around money market mutual funds in the financial crisis of 2008. View Details

Keywords: BlackRock; Mutual Funds; Money Market; Investment Management; Bank Runs; 2008 Financial Crisis; Government Intervention In The Markets; GRG; Financial Management; Investment Funds; Crisis Management; Government and Politics; Financial Crisis; Financial Services Industry

June 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Supplement

BlackRock Money Market Management in September 2008 (B)

By: Kenneth A. Froot and David Lane

This case highlights the issues surrounding money market mutual funds in the financial crisis of 2008. View Details

Keywords: BlackRock; Mutual Funds; Money Market; Investment Management; Bank Runs; 2008 Financial Crisis; Government Intervention In The Markets; GRG; Financial Management; Investment Funds; Government and Politics; Financial Crisis; Financial Services Industry

01 Oct 2024
Research & Ideas

How Politics Drives Business Decisions in a Polarized Nation

write. The researchers estimated that during a four-year political cycle, a firm loses 0.52 percent to 0.62 percent more of its market capitalization (between $89 million to $107 million) if it is rated by a... View Details

Keywords: by Jay Fitzgerald

11 Apr 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Managers and Market Capitalism

Keywords: by Rebecca Henderson & Karthik Ramanna

March 2020 (Revised February 2023)
Case

Political Legitimacy and Global Capital Markets: Malaysia's 1MDB (A)

By: Meg Rithmire and Courtney Han

In May 2018, Malaysia’s 14th General Election saw a change of power that many thought they would never witness in their lifetimes. The political party that had ruled Malaysia for 60 year was kicked out of office by a 92 year-old challenger, Mahathir Mohamed, who had... View Details

Keywords: Government Administration; Crime and Corruption; Financial Markets; Malaysia

14 Feb 2011
Research & Ideas

Clay Christensen’s Milkshake Marketing

Updated to clarify a failure rate figure included in an earlier version. When planning new products, companies often start by segmenting their markets and positioning their merchandise accordingly. This segmentation involves either... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail; Service; Consumer Products; Food & Beverage

16 Aug 2011
Working Paper Summaries

Managing Political Risk in Global Business: Beiersdorf 1914-1990

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones & Christina Lubinski; Beauty & Cosmetics

Forthcoming
Article

The Political Economy of Anti-Bribery Enforcement

By: Lauren Cohen and Bo Li

Using exogenous variation in the timing and geographic location of U.S. Congressional elections, we find that the probability of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement actions against foreign firms increases significantly preceding senatorial elections,... View Details

Keywords: Bribery; Regulatory Enforcement; Crime and Corruption; Political Elections; Power and Influence; Public Opinion; Geographic Location

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2011
Book

Translating Empire: Emulation and the Origins of Political Economy

By: Sophus A. Reinert

Historians have traditionally used the discourses of free trade and laissez-faire to explain the development of political economy during the Enlightenment. But from Sophus Reinert's perspective, eighteenth-century political economy can be understood only in the context... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Government and Politics

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09 Feb 2017
News

How should companies navigate polarized politics in the Trump era?

11 Feb 2008
Research & Ideas

Does Democracy Need a Marketing Manager?

Very little scholarship has been done around the subject of marketing and democracy. In fact, many believe that politics needs less marketing. Harvard Business School professor John A. Quelch and research... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

October 2012 (Revised August 2013)
Case

Russia and China: Energy Relations and International Politics

By: Rawi Abdelal and Sogomon Tarontsi

Russia and China are neighbors with complementary needs: Russia has an abundance of energy resources, which China needs to fuel its industry. The case analyzes the evolution of the China-Russia energy relations in the post-Cold War period, with an emphasis on the... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; International Relations; Energy; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Markets and Industries; Business and Government Relations; Energy Industry; China; Russia

August 2005 (Revised August 2007)
Background Note

Why Study Emerging Markets

By: Tarun Khanna, Krishna G. Palepu and Kjell Ke-Li Carlsson

Emerging markets have attracted considerable attention and are likely to become an increasingly important political and economic force. They represent an enormous opportunity for entrepreneurs, multinationals, and investors but also pose a threat for products, jobs,... View Details

Keywords: Profit; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Governance; Emerging Markets; Problems and Challenges; Opportunities

December 2018 (Revised September 2019)
Case

Brand Activism: Nike and Colin Kaepernick

By: Jill Avery and Koen Pauwels

Nike's selection of politically polarizing Colin Kaepernick as the spokesperson for the 30th anniversary of its iconic "Just Do It" campaign catapulted the brand into the media spotlight and made it a political flashpoint for consumers across America. Would the choice... View Details

Keywords: Digital Marketing; Entertainment; Politics; Activism; Brand Equity; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Communications; Sports; Advertising; Social Media; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States; North America